By: Libby Gowen
Quinn Bovenizer is standing in front of the mirror fixing his hair. Quinn started losing his hair in December of 2025, when he woke up one morning to a lot of hair on his pillow.
Quinn Bovenizer holding up a photo of what he looked like before he started losing his hair. “This whole experience has been really difficult; nobody expects their hair to start falling out at 21 years old.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding minoxidil oil. He used this for about two weeks when his hair initially started falling out, not knowing yet it was due to alopecia.
Quinn Bovenizer is holding the fluocinonide topical treatment one of his doctors prescribed for him, as he explains his experience with the doctors he has seen about his hair loss. “I went to the doctor about a week after I started losing my hair, and he pretty much dismissed me and just said he didn’t know what it was.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding the fluocinocide topical treatment one of his doctors prescribed him. “Another doctor I went to shortly after that told me it was alopecia areata. I couldn’t believe it.”
Quinn’s colored dry shampoo sitting on his bathroom counter. “For a while I was able to cover up the hair loss with colored dry shampoo and root spray. But after about three months, that didn’t work anymore.”
Quinn Bovenizer demonstrating how he uses his derma roller on his scalp. Derma rollers are used on the scalp to stimulate it, improving blood circulation and helping trigger hair growth.
Quinn Bovenizer’s rosemary oil sitting on his bathroom counter. Rosemary oil helps promote scalp health, which in turn helps promote hair growth.
Quinn Bovenizer demonstrating how he applies his rosemary oil. Quinn uses this once a week, applying it a few hours before his shower, and washes it out when in the shower.
Quinn Bovenizer holding the gentle shampoo he has been using since his hair loss started. “I’m pretty sure the tea tree oil shampoo I was using shocked my scalp and triggered the alopecia. Apparently, if you use too much of that stuff like I was, it can cause hair loss.”
Most of Quinn’s hair products are sitting on his bathroom counter. “I never thought I would need so many hair products in my life.”
Quinn Bovenier is looking closely at his facial hair in the mirror. “All of my facial hair and a lot of the hair on my head started growing in white, which is a side effect of alopecia. I miss my old mustache a lot, but right now I’ve got a white one like Santa.”
The back of Quinn Bovenizer’s head where all the white hair is growing in. Quinn’s hair is slowly growing back at different speeds, coming in dark in some sections and white in other sections.
Quinn Bovenizer holding a progress picture of his hair loss. “I started documenting what my hair looked like almost every day because I was waking up with more and more hair on my pillow.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding a progress picture of his hair loss. “When it started thinning on the top is when it really started to freak me out.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding a progress picture of his hair loss. "This was back when I was using colored dry shampoo and root spray to cover it up.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding a photo of his hair after he shaved it off. “It got to the point where I couldn’t hide it anymore, so I had to shave it. After that, you could really see all the spots where my hair stopped growing."
Quinn Bovenizer organizing his collection of hats. “I’m grateful I was already a hat guy before this all started. If I didn’t have hats to wear every day, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Quinn Bovenizer holding up his favorite hat. “My hats have helped me be confident going out in public. This entire thing has sucked, and my confidence took a major hit for several months.”
Quinn Bovenizer is putting on his hat before he leaves his apartment. "It's been seven months, and I still don't know why this is happening or when my hair will go back to normal, but I can't wait for that day to come."
